


and his name was vengeance

by Rethira



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-15
Updated: 2013-08-15
Packaged: 2017-12-23 14:03:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/927347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rethira/pseuds/Rethira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Reyson is not himself any longer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	and his name was vengeance

**Author's Note:**

  * For [boywonder](https://archiveofourown.org/users/boywonder/gifts).



The first few months after he arrives in Phoenicis, Reyson is distant. He can’t bring himself to draw close to any of the hawks – _everyone had burned_ – and his father remains asleep. When he asks, the few healers that live on Phoenicis just shake their heads sadly; laguz are resilient as a whole, but this isn’t something natural resilience can heal. An ancient hawk woman calls it a sickness of the soul, like Reyson can’t already see that. Like he can’t see the darkness sinking its claws into his father.

It’s worse when he’s surrounded by hawks. They fawn on him, like a child, when he’s- he’s older than practically all of them. Older even than their King, for all he looks younger. They treat him like he’s helpless – _helpless, so helpless to stop the flames_ – and useless. Beloved by the Goddess, but apparently not enough. They’d been able to see the fire for _miles_. One of the younger hawks, the one with piercing eyes and a cocky smirk, claims he could even see it from Phoenicis. Another one says, the only time Reyson speaks to him, that he could hear the screams. That he can _still_ hear the screams. He’s pale and drawn when he says it; Reyson believes him.

They’re so young.

It seems impossible. How is he older than these people? How is he the only one left? Leanne was barely a century old.

He should have gone to Naesala. Should have asked his old friend- Naesala would have attacked Begnion, surely. Would have-

But Naesala hasn’t come to Phoenicis.

So Reyson throws himself into his loneliness. After all, he’ll be lonely for the rest of his life. How could a hawk ever understand a heron?

~

Tibarn follows him. Not all the time, but often enough.

There aren’t any forests on Phoenicis. The ground isn’t fertile enough. Reyson can feel that without even straining his senses. Even where the ground is turned for agriculture, it’s still thin soil. Reyson sings a little, feels life return – and then stops.

There’s no-one else to carry on the song.

At least, not in any way Reyson enjoys – after a pause, a deep voice starts to sing behind him. It’s nice enough, although nothing like the galdr. When Reyson looks back, it’s Tibarn singing. Of course. He turns away and flies over the thin, barren soil where hardly anything grows. He hates it here.

He hates the animals – they run from him. From _him_ , a _heron_! No animal ever feared a heron in Serenes. No creature ever feared at all. He hates the birds, mean-spirited thieves that they are. He hates the hawks even – they’re loud and brash and rude and tear into meat with _relish_. But he hates the beorc the most. They drove him here. They’ve stolen his family, his home, his very way of life-

Why can’t they all just _die_?

Tibarn finds him down by the cliffs, staring at the rocks below. He doesn’t ask what Reyson’s thinking about.

~

Beorc don’t sail near Phoenicis, at least, not normally. When they _do_ , the hawks react viciously – once, Reyson would have been horrified to see it. Now, he watches detachedly. Why should he care if some beorc are butchered? They butchered his family.

He thinks Tibarn sees him watching; the Hawk King’s face is unreadable.

A week later, Tibarn rouses him from his bed and says, “Come.” They fly out over the sea, Tibarn careful not to overtax Reyson’s wings. Eventually Tibarn pauses and shifts back. He points out, towards a ship, and says, “They fly Begnion colours.”

Reyson remains silent. He can just see them. The chances of these specific beorc having burnt Serenes are small, he knows. And yet hatred wells up inside of him. They should burn like Serenes did. Like Lillia did. Like Leanne did. They should _burn_.

The violence of his thoughts scares Reyson – but he still asks Tibarn, “Will you kill them?”

“If that is what you wish,” Tibarn answers.

Reyson stares for a moment, and then he says, “I wish it.”

Tibarn nods, shifts and flies up high. He screeches, and within minutes dozens of hawks fill the sky. They look to Tibarn, soaring high above them, and when he stoops on the ship, they follow.

Reyson watches Tibarn take the revenge that should have been his.

If only he was strong like they were.

~

More ships fall to Phoenicis’ talons. After a while, Begnion begins to station pegasus knights just off shore, and to give ships signal towers to be lit. Archers crowd the decks of imperial ships, while merchant ships fly Crimean colours. Tibarn makes a point though – no Begnion allied ship passes through Phoenician waters without some fear. Naesala must hear of it; Reyson imagines he’s thrilled. Phoenician approved piracy.

He watches once, when a ship set upon by an unkindness of ravens is joined by a cast of hawks. At first, the beorc think they’re saved – in the old days, Phoenicis would assist those ships attacked by Kilvas. Tibarn had opinions about piracy, and none of them were good.

But here the hawks harry alongside ravens. The ship’s signal fire is overturned. The ship burns. It is not the first, nor will it be the last.

Reyson thinks that the wood of the ship was familiar. Perhaps it was from Serenes.

He does not visit Naesala.

~

There is only one sizable pond on Phoenicis. Hardly a lake at all, and the fish are few and far between. Tibarn apparently imports them, although here importing means stealing from Begnion’s shores. A fast hawk can make the trip before the fish dies, although it is more common for them to steal fish roe and guard it from the skuas. Either way, there are fish in the pond, and herons are, at heart, fishers.

Even so, Reyson was a Prince. If there were herons who fished, then he was certainly not one of them. He has never killed a living creature before, although he has eaten the flesh of a dead one. It hadn’t agreed with him, and he had told Tibarn in no uncertain terms that he would prefer fish, fruit and vegetables to any meat they served up.

He has survived. It’s not like the food in Serenes, but then, Reyson doubts he will ever eat in Serenes again.

A fish moves in the pond. It is sleek and silver-scaled. Fast, but curious.

Reyson catches it before it even realises he’s there. He swallows it whole; he can still feel it moving. One of the hawks nearby makes a gagging noise, but Reyson ignores it.

He catches another fish; this one moves just at the wrong moment and is impaled. He brings it up out of the water, caught on his beak, and wonders if this is how the hawks feel when they have a rabbit clutched between their talons.

The meal he catches for himself feels more satisfying than any other meal he’s ever eaten.

~

The sunsets on Phoenicis look like the sky is alight with flame.

Reyson watches them to remind himself. There was so much screaming.

Tibarn finds him watching one night, and he lands gently beside him. “Come inside,” Tibarn murmurs, “this is no time to be out.”

“It’s been a year,” Reyson says. “I can still hear their screams.”

If Tibarn is taken aback by this, he doesn’t show it. “If we had the might, I would lead an attack on Begnion,” he says. “All the Empire would burn.”

“You- you do too much for me,” Reyson says. “I have been an unkind guest.”

Tibarn shakes his head fiercely. “Nothing would be too much. Nothing would be too great. One day, Begnion will pay for what it has done. I swear it.”

Reyson looks to him. There is still youth clinging in Tibarn’s eyes. Youth and fervour and... _strength_. Strength Reyson lacks. He _wants_.

“I accept,” he says, “and I swear that I will forever stand by your side.”

The herons have never demanded fealty, and no heron has ever offered it.

But it is different now, and in any case, it doesn’t feel like _fealty_ when Tibarn kisses his hand.


End file.
